IN OUR OPINION

Editorial: Special interests vs. public interests

Published: Friday, April 26, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 8:34 p.m.

Pandering to special interests is routine in the 21st century Florida Legislature, something we Floridians have come to expect and, too often, accept. But even by the Legislature's own standards the House's approval of House Bill 999 on Thursday by a 98-20 vote signals a major sellout of the public interests to special interests.

HB 999, which 1000 Friends of Florida has dubbed “the most problematic environmental bill of the session,” now heads to the Senate where a companion measure, SB 1064, is awaiting for that chamber's vote, possibly as early as today. We urge Marion County's senators, Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, and Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, to vote against this affront to the environment, home rule and anyone who cares about preserving Florida as we know it.

That the House voted for HB 999 so overwhelmingly shows its members' disconnect with everyday Floridians. The lengthy bill and its Senate companion are dubbed by their sponsors “environmental regulation” measures when, in fact, they are aimed at massive environmental deregulation. Everything from wetlands and marinas to water permits and pollution testing to fertilizer ordinances and local development permitting are covered, and in every case the bills seek to weaken regulations to the detriment of our communities and state.

“Line by line, and dollar for dollar, these bills were written for those who wish to exploit our environment for personal gain,” wrote the respected Florida Conservation Coalition, founded and chaired by former governor and senator Bob Graham.

This legislation would all but eliminate wetlands permitting as we know it. Moreover, it would severely limit how the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation can test for polluted water and would ratify 30-year, no-bid leases to big sugar companies bordering the Everglades. When it comes to water permitting, it would prohibit water management districts from altering consumptive use permits for groundwater, even if new alternative sources of water were available.

If you believe the best government is that which is closest to the people, this bill is an insult. Among other things, it would pre-empt local authority on fertilizer ordinances. But possibly the most inexplicable piece of this bad bill is a section that would limit local governments from seeking additional information from a developer requesting a development permit to three inquiries, no matter the scope or size of the development. Florida and its residents have watched our state decline environmentally over the past couple of decades, despite efforts to regulate the actions and disruption of our lands and waters. This bill would deregulate far too much of our environment for nothing more than the convenience and economics of big business looking to grow its bottom line at the state's expense.

These bills are bad for Florida's environment, and that makes them bad for all of us. Anyone who cares about this state should oppose this legislation, and we urged Sens. Dean, Hays and Hukill to vote against SB 1064. We urge them to do what's best for Florida and not pander to special interests, but instead embrace the public interest.

<p>Pandering to special interests is routine in the 21st century Florida Legislature, something we Floridians have come to expect and, too often, accept. But even by the Legislature's own standards the House's approval of House Bill 999 on Thursday by a 98-20 vote signals a major sellout of the public interests to special interests.</p><p>HB 999, which 1000 Friends of Florida has dubbed “the most problematic environmental bill of the session,” now heads to the Senate where a companion measure, SB 1064, is awaiting for that chamber's vote, possibly as early as today. We urge Marion County's senators, Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, and Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, to vote against this affront to the environment, home rule and anyone who cares about preserving Florida as we know it.</p><p>That the House voted for HB 999 so overwhelmingly shows its members' disconnect with everyday Floridians. The lengthy bill and its Senate companion are dubbed by their sponsors “environmental regulation” measures when, in fact, they are aimed at massive environmental deregulation. Everything from wetlands and marinas to water permits and pollution testing to fertilizer ordinances and local development permitting are covered, and in every case the bills seek to weaken regulations to the detriment of our communities and state.</p><p>“Line by line, and dollar for dollar, these bills were written for those who wish to exploit our environment for personal gain,” wrote the respected Florida Conservation Coalition, founded and chaired by former governor and senator Bob Graham.</p><p>This legislation would all but eliminate wetlands permitting as we know it. Moreover, it would severely limit how the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation can test for polluted water and would ratify 30-year, no-bid leases to big sugar companies bordering the Everglades. When it comes to water permitting, it would prohibit water management districts from altering consumptive use permits for groundwater, even if new alternative sources of water were available.</p><p>If you believe the best government is that which is closest to the people, this bill is an insult. Among other things, it would pre-empt local authority on fertilizer ordinances. But possibly the most inexplicable piece of this bad bill is a section that would limit local governments from seeking additional information from a developer requesting a development permit to three inquiries, no matter the scope or size of the development. Florida and its residents have watched our state decline environmentally over the past couple of decades, despite efforts to regulate the actions and disruption of our lands and waters. This bill would deregulate far too much of our environment for nothing more than the convenience and economics of big business looking to grow its bottom line at the state's expense.</p><p>These bills are bad for Florida's environment, and that makes them bad for all of us. Anyone who cares about this state should oppose this legislation, and we urged Sens. Dean, Hays and Hukill to vote against SB 1064. We urge them to do what's best for Florida and not pander to special interests, but instead embrace the public interest.</p>